Swopping heads, 'Not that one Igor...'

[Rhoops]

I thought I'd dip my toe in the ocean of modding, with a simple head swop...

I assume when you use the various mod available gender/facial reconstruction machines, a new/altered head/hair file is created to record these changes. Can this file be transfered to a NPC or preferably a companion? This effectively would allow you to design your own companions appearance way beyond just clothing.

It must be possiible as I've seen some weird versions of Willow posted on another site, but I have no idea how!

Any help would be appreciated!

[bioshards]

yes, you can use the GECK, its an editing tool that can be used to make your own plugins, but all plugins MUST have a master. im not fimilliar with the willow mod, but if it has a .ESM (not to be confused with .ESP) you can open up the geck and change willows appearance as you wish, however if the willow mod doesnt have a .ESM file it may require additional modding utilities. open up the ESM for willow and try to change her appearance, if you get confused feel free to message me

[Rhoops]

That's not quite what I mean. I have various presets added via Mods that give a number of pre formed set faces in the various facial reconstruction machines available in many mods that include 'homes'; Bucks Place in the Bison Steve quest for example. I have Eve, Willow, Kirina, Vanessa faces that could be used as Courier 6's own face via the facial reconstruction option. If I could use a downloaded preset to get Courier 6 to have say: Vanessa's face, can the process be easily reversed: a companion's face using the presumably new preset file that I create in the facial reconstruction process, every time I use it? The variability here suggests that the GECK... as far as I understand it, (which isnt very far!) isn't necessary? I would rather avoid going down the plugin route if possible. Thanks for your advice though.

[robberfox]

If you want to change your companion's face, then you will need the GECK. There's really no way around that, it's not the same as with the PC because there's no way to open up the race menu for NPCs. All you really have to do though is open it up with the companion mod you want to change and whatever other mods you'd like (hair or eye mods) ticked, then from there you just need to find the companion in the NPC subcategory, then you can change just about everything about them. Presets are a bit tricky to use in the GECK though, it's not like in the game where you can click through them, you'd have to recreate what look you want yourself.

It's easier to create presets for the PC as there is an option to have an NPCs face become available in the character generator.

[Rhoops]

Thanks, I was thinking this through a bit more, and realised that the companion/GECK thing is not as loose as I first imagined! Even where the Mod companions eg Willow/Vanessa are esm/esp's I thought that there was a possibility that I could still skip past the GECK, as in it acts like an indexing programme for the game/Mod resources, and, instead just rename/replace a resource file. A lot quicker dealing with resources than learning GECK indexing routes,(and how I used to do minor mod stuff, based one what is already working!).

Where companions, the vanilla ones like Cass/ Veronica are not esm/esp based, does the GECK parameter still apply to faces? Are the resources for these not just in the data, texture/meshes folders somewhere?

I get the general point now though...

 

Cute companion = GECK.

 

Siiiiiiigh, oh well, anybody else want a Louise Brooks head to go with that #79 bob?

Lets see now..... 'make a plugin'...... hmmm maybe press that button...............